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Why You Should Never Hire Superstar Talent

This article is by Kevin Meany, the president, chief executive, and founder of BFG Communications, a marketing services firm.

My passion, my great escape, is competitive sport fishing aboard my boat, Lucky Hooker. Nothing gives me greater satisfaction than the thrill of competition and the chance to win tens of thousands of dollars by betting on myself and my team.

What does it take to win a billfish tournament, or even place among the top finishers? Hundreds of hours of preparation and planning, good fish intelligence (satellite maps, dockside info, charts analysis), an experienced crew, patience, and, of course, good luck. Above all, it takes teamwork. My crew usually includes six members who work well under tremendous pressure and, sometimes, dangerous conditions. Each member of my crew can pick up where one of us leaves off and perform every job on the boat. This is critical for success. Each of us knows how to run the boat, work the electronics, and perform in the cockpit (bring lines in, bait the hooks, adjust the teasers, etc.). There are no superstars on the boat. When we’re fishing we are in it together and feel equally responsible.

I run my company, an ad agency, the same way. Advertising is a business where big-name creative talent is cultivated and celebrated, but I believe that what it takes to win a billfish tournament is similar to what it takes to win in business: selfless and tireless collaboration.

Superstars aren’t team players. The term alone implies superiority to the others on the team. In fact, superstars are usually more trouble than they are worth. This is not to say that I don’t expect everyone in my agency to be a high performer. But CEOs often feed a big talent catch to the point where entire departments revolve around that person, as if in mindless orbit.

Not long ago I was persuaded to hire a superstar. When he left unexpectedly recently—superstars are often lured to other companies or decide to start their own—it became a crisis. Clients moaned. Direct reports fretted. I panicked. My executive team asked me,“Couldn’t you have done something?”

But then, a miracle. After just one day, employees who had been working for the superstar suddenly came out of their offices and shone, producing brilliant work. Clients commented on the depth of talent we had, and marveled that we hadn’t missed a beat. I discovered a group in the organization that had huge untapped strength and ability. Suddenly an entire department that had been under the rule of the superstar felt empowered. It was now this team’s job to press forward.

A few lessons learned:

Don’t build part of your company around a superstar. No employee is bigger than the organization, and if you build the organization around one, when he or she leaves, your organizational chart will be left with a large empty box that isn’t easily filled.

Know that superstars will leave. Great employees depart for new opportunities. It’s a natural evolution, a fact of life. It’s easy to get them to stay in the short run. Throw money at them; give them a new title or some other perk. But that can cause resentment among the rest of your team and can be a big demotivator for all, except the superstar, who will feel even more super. By the way, once an employee gets the itch to move, it’s almost impossible to persuade him (or her) to stay long-term. Usually he’s leaving because he feels he has outgrown his opportunities at the company. Extending money, perks, and titles only delays the inevitable and sets a precedent that you don’t want to set in your organization. So when it happens, be supportive, and encourage others to step up and shine as members of the team.

Encourage unsung employees to step up and speak up. Everyone at BFG, the agency I run, is well aware of one of my key meeting rules: If you’re in a meeting and just sit there and contribute nothing, you will in all likelihood not be invited back. This helps ensure that there are always confident team members willing to step up when one moves on.

With this most recent experience I am reminded that the success of my company depends on teamwork. On any given day, some team members in my company and on my boat will outperform others, but no one person is exclusively responsible for our success—or for the catch of the day.

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This article brings up an interesting insight. Star talent can potientially be flakey and have an enormous ego. However, hiring a superstars does have its Pros. Superstars attract other great people. They’ll increase productivity. Everyone will want to step their game up. This article elaborates on the benifits having a superstar on your team http://www.founderblog.com/2012/08/18/hire-the-best-candidate-the-one-you-cant-afford/

Talent isn’t the issue, ego is. My definition of a superstar is “A” talent who understands the value of being a team player. The two positions are not mutually exclusive, and should not be cast as such. It’s a leader’s job to find, attract, develop, and retain the best talent possible. It’s also a leader’s job to influence team members to play nicely with one another. It’s simply a myth that tier-one talent is disruptive in a negative way. If talent has run amok, then it’s only because leadership has failed. Following are two pieces that may help shed some additional light on the subject: